This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every persons position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the FAQ and RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate and remove the ads - it's free!

Re: Patients Pay Before Seeing Doctor as Deductibles Spread

Originally Posted by Cephus

Right now you could walk into any emergency room in the country and find people waiting to see doctors who haven't got a penny to their name. Sorry, that's just not the case. The modern ER has been turned into a fast-service doctor's office for the poor.

Again, though there are people who visit emergency rooms who are penniless, unless they can demonstrate the ability to pay to admitting personnel their treatment is limited to emergency and life saving care only. You simply do not know what you're talking about.

Re: Patients Pay Before Seeing Doctor as Deductibles Spread

Originally Posted by sawyerloggingon

You are mistaken Maggie. The docs want the entire deductible up front. That is what my mom just told me anyway. She has been doctor shopping since her old doc won't take Medicare patients which obamacare forced her onto and is being told this constantly.

EDIT: To be more precise they want the entire deductible up front before they accept you as a new patient. If you are already a patient it may be different, I truly don't know.

Uhm you need to check this doctor out. Seems fraudulent. What if the costs to see this doctor are less than the full deductible? I mean if one's going into a hospital and they require full deductible (been there) that makes sense because the surgery or whatever is likely going to be way more than most any deductible. But a doc's visit shouldn't be over a $200 or so, so what's your mom's deductible and tell me you don't think that deductible is payable over and over rather than accumulative.

jallman: "It's all good. At least you have a thick skin and can take being poked fun back at without crying. "

Re: Patients Pay Before Seeing Doctor as Deductibles Spread

Originally Posted by FederalRepublic

The same way we control the costs of any other product or service--by letting the consumer do it.

Are you entirely ignorant about how costs for most product and services are not controlled at all by the consumer? Seriously, supply and demand aren't even real in the world much anymore with stock market style pricing, not consumer supply and demand, being the manner for pricing.
Additionally since health isn't something someone can hang around and wait for, consumers don't have the time and luxury to wait for any potential supply and demand to set in.

jallman: "It's all good. At least you have a thick skin and can take being poked fun back at without crying. "

Re: Patients Pay Before Seeing Doctor as Deductibles Spread

Originally Posted by Summerwind

Uhm you need to check this doctor out. Seems fraudulent. What if the costs to see this doctor are less than the full deductible? I mean if one's going into a hospital and they require full deductible (been there) that makes sense because the surgery or whatever is likely going to be way more than most any deductible. But a doc's visit shouldn't be over a $200 or so, so what's your mom's deductible and tell me you don't think that deductible is payable over and over rather than accumulative.

All the docs she has looked into so far want upfront money to sign her on to make up for the gap in Medicare payments. Could be because she is 80 and has preexisting conditions.

Re: Patients Pay Before Seeing Doctor as Deductibles Spread

Originally Posted by clownboy

Again, though there are people who visit emergency rooms who are penniless, unless they can demonstrate the ability to pay to admitting personnel their treatment is limited to emergency and life saving care only. You simply do not know what you're talking about.

You're wrong, unless you think treatment for an ear infection or strep throat, getting a sliver of metal out of the white of the eye, skin rash are emergencies...sorry, but emergency rooms see who arrives and they treat them as well as they can. You can go to a ER and be seen for a cold. Once they see you, they don't say, "oh, you're not sick enough, go find a doctor," they give you meds and or prescriptions.

jallman: "It's all good. At least you have a thick skin and can take being poked fun back at without crying. "

Re: Patients Pay Before Seeing Doctor as Deductibles Spread

All the docs she has looked into so far want upfront money to sign her on to make up for the gap in Medicare payments. Could be because she is 80 and has preexisting conditions.

Oh, I'm not saying they don't want money up front, but they can't want "the whole deductible" as that is against all costs, not each cost. Some could require you to put up the co-pay for each appt, I get that, by it a set amount or percentage. For example when I had my hysterectomy, the doc and hospital required we pay our estimated 20% up front. That's an inconvenience but makes sense.

jallman: "It's all good. At least you have a thick skin and can take being poked fun back at without crying. "

Re: Patients Pay Before Seeing Doctor as Deductibles Spread

Originally Posted by Cephus

If you're required to pay your deductable up front at the doctor and you don't have that money, you have no other choice, do you?

Are you meaning to say copay? It just that one doesn't pay one's deductible to doctors. Now if one's deductible isn't used up, then the doctor can require you to pay upfront for full appt, but they can't take your entire deductible unless your immediate care from him/her is going to be at least as much as the deductibles. Since most insurance has deductibles $1000-5000, I find it hard to believe one doc appt could be that expensive. Sounds like what you have are fraudulent docs trying to take advantage of stupid, scared people.

jallman: "It's all good. At least you have a thick skin and can take being poked fun back at without crying. "

Re: Patients Pay Before Seeing Doctor as Deductibles Spread

Originally Posted by Cephus

Right now you could walk into any emergency room in the country and find people waiting to see doctors who haven't got a penny to their name. Sorry, that's just not the case. The modern ER has been turned into a fast-service doctor's office for the poor.

I agree entirely, and this is part of what ACA is trying to resolve. It won't resolve all of them, some will still not have insurance, some will have insurance but not the copay to go the doc instead of the ER, but it should help lots and lots that are a bit better off than that, but not well enough off to afford insurance and copays as they stood till this month.

jallman: "It's all good. At least you have a thick skin and can take being poked fun back at without crying. "